Former Kaduna Central lawmaker, Shehu Sani has reacted to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Egbetokun promise to effect the withdrawal of Police Mobile Force personnel from VIP escort/guard duties.

Recall that the acting IGP said that it was necessary to make the move so as to ensure enough security personnel to combat crime in the country.

He said, “We shall effect the withdrawal of PMF personnel from VIP escort/guard duties. While the protection of dignitaries remains paramount, it is imperative that we realign our priorities to address the escalating security challenges faced by the nation as a whole. By relieving the PMF of VIP escort and guard duties, we can redirect their focus and efforts toward addressing critical security concerns that affect our communities at large.

“To support the foregoing strategic plan and make needed manpower available for frontline duties, the withdrawn PMF officers will be replaced by officers of the Special Protection Unit only where necessary.”

Reacting to the IGP’s submission via Twitter, Sani noted that all new IGPs always announce the withdrawal of policemen from VIPs but often go back on their word.

He, however, hope that this would lead to a different outcome.

He wrote, “All new IG of Police do this two things;Withdrawing Policemen from the VIPs and removing Checkpoints;months later,the police will return to the VIPs and the Checkpoints will return too.I hope this one will be different.”

The Federal Government through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has said it paid N1.82 trillion as subsidy payments in five months, and arrears on the payments hit N3.73 trillion.

In its monthly presentation to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting on June 22, 2023, the national oil company said it paid N307.408 billion as petrol subsidy payment in May 2023.

NNPC said from January 2023 to May 2023, petrol under-recovery totalled N1.828 trillion — 55 percent higher than the amount paid in the corresponding period of 2022.

It also disclosed that subsidy payments gulped N274.769 billion in January 2023, N477.742 billion in February, N415.381 billion in March, and N353.130 billion in April, respectively.

Meanwhile, under-recovery arrears amounted to N3.735 trillion and has been “carried forward”, the state oil firm said.

It said: “The May 2023 subsidy amounted to N307,408,874,345.82, thus, the outstanding balance carried forward is N3,735,689,387,761.22 as of June 2023 FAAC.

“The sum of N495,497,600,000 was recovered from FGN/CBN subsidy support.

“The recovery consists of N400 billion from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and federal government subsidy support as well as “$220,000 (80 percent of $275,000) Nigeria liquefied natural gas dividend.”

According to the NNPC, the NLNG dividend is converted at N434.08/$1, which is the FAAC-approved exchange rate for May 2023.

The national oil firm also revealed that it raked in N47.57 billion as domestic production sharing contract (PSC) crude oil and gas revenue in May 2023.

Meanwhile, FAAC has claimed that the NNPC did not remit money into the federation account in May 2023 from crude sales, royalties, and taxes.

The Committee made the claim in a statement issued by the Director, of Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Stephen Kilebi.

A report has emerged that President Bola Tinubu is almost done with the compilation of his ministerial list.

Naija News gathered that the President was discreet about the selection of the list, as he was said to have closely held consultations with his special advisors.

While the long awaited list is almost done, this platform reported last week that the lobby for ministerial appointment intensified as party sources revealed how some former governors and lawmaker who lost in the 2023 general election were hovering at All Progressive Congress (APC) national office in Abuja

It was also learnt that most state chapters of the ruling party have completed their nominations to be forwarded to the President for ministerial appointment.

However, a source close to the Presidency told The Punch that the President kept a core of ministers to himself.

The source said “I learned that Tinubu’s ministerial list is almost done. He kept a core of ministers to himself, heavily influenced by the kitchen cabinet of SAs.

“The politicians are in ‘Bolekaja’ over the rest. It’s a slugfest now.”

Meanwhile, another source confirmed that Tinubu is scheduled to fly in from London today ahead of Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.

This platform reported yesterday that a source close to the presidency disclosed that the President will be arriving Lagos today ahead of Sallah celebration.

Corroborating this, the source said Tinubu would be returning to his private Ikoyi home in Lagos later on Tuesday to observe his first Sallah celebration as President.

It was also gathered that he will join other dignitaries for the Eid prayers at the Obalende Muslim Prayer ground located at Dodan Barracks, the former seat of the Nigerian government on Wednesday.

The source also revealed that the President is not likely to return to Abuja until Sunday or Monday, even though the festivities end on Thursday.

The source said “I am are certain that he will return to Lagos tomorrow (Tuesday), not Abuja. That’s where he will observe Sallah.”

It is not today that Nigerians began to regret the abolition of slave trade. When an extraordinarily stupid opinion is expressed on social media, you would often see people regretting abolition. The holder of such opinion, if the ugly trade was still in vogue, would be sold outright. A man, in one of such outrages against public stupidity, was valued at a good bottle of whisky. Another would have gone for a head of tobacco. The brutal wisdom running through this line of reasoning is that the transatlantic slave trade enabled a community get rid of its worthless and senseless sons. It was not altogether bad after all.

Asari Dukubo, at present, is the loudest jester in Tinubu’s court. In his remarkable exertion for recognition, Asari has been over-passing himself, to borrow from Warri boys. After a visit to Tinubu, he ensconced himself and launched an unbridled tirade against Nigeria’s military. He charged the army with stealing oil and other high crimes. Asari took credit for the return of peace to the Kaduna Highway. A friend in whose company I watched that “press briefing” had laughingly wondered if Asari is angling to be appointed head of the Nigerian army. You better not laugh this off.

Asari has always been a loose cannon but the sidelining he suffered under Buhari may well have gotten the better of him. He has shown super-interesting contradictions and done shameless about-faces, typical only of men who are a little queer in the head. In a viral video, now very popular among Nigerian comedians, he opined that Biafra was the only choice for Southerners.It was not long before he tried to steal the leadership of IPOB. The resistance he met would again make him renounce his citizenship of Biafra. The moment Tinubu was announced flag-bearer for the APC, Asari got a new lease of life. He was not only prepared to be friends with the government, he bent over backwards, unashamedly ingratiating himself to Tinubu. Hindsight compels him to let go of the offensive. The old gimmick of badgering the Federal Government and threatening to burn down the Niger Delta has demonstrably ceased to be effective. Bum-sucking is the new magical trick.  

And how best do you announce your loyalty to the Nigerian power? Certainly, by showing thorough-going contempt for the Igbo. Asari, of all the political jobbers trying to deploy this trick, has been the nastiest and the least intelligent. Before the inauguration of the president and his vice, Asari went to Abuja with a collection of famished urchins, purportedly to fight off some Igbo people who were preparing to disrupt the ceremony. The purpose of this opinion is not to chronicle Asari’s contradictions and half-insane eccentricities. You should nevertheless be worried that such a character gets audience at the highest level of government. It is a moral disgrace.

Now to my story. It is curious how Africans are in the habit of taking pride in olden-times atrocities.They gleefully own them as part of the glorious exploits of their illustrious ancestors. Loud-mouthed Asari, I would come to this, would be over the moon if it is historically accurate that his ancestors sold human beings during the slave trade. As bad luck would have it for him, it is the other way. Here, in taking pride in evil, he does not stand alone.

The other time, Joe Igbokwe, waxing belligerent against his IPOB traducers boasted that he belongs to a village in Nnewi which says to others; “Get out, you are Osu,” and threw his head sideways, like a proud turkey. I remember that I was the only one who called for outrage. Reno Omokri peddled a pseudo, error-ridden, grossly inaccurate, and intentionally dishonest history where he said his Itsekiri people sold Igbos during slave trade. Behind the veneer of pseudo intellectualism, was a doubly criminal attempt to take pride in slavery. This attitude among seemingly educated Africans is despicable. You don’t want to think of what would happen if a German, as an example, openly takes pride in what Hitler did, or a Briton in the looting and carnage committed by the British Empire all over the world.

I have read many reactions to Asari’s preposterous rambling. An excavated old interview of his showed him freely confessing that his great grand father or suchlike ancestor was sold by Arochukwu slave-dealers. I was disappointed that all the opinions were united in rather strenuously trying to prove that Asari is a descendant of slaves. One columnist called him a second-class slave, since his great grand father was not sold by a free a man, but by a man who was himself a slave. In all, I did not see any of them condemn slavery. They were all fighting for the place of their fathers in infamy.

This is no longer the tradition across the world and for good reasons. Christopher Hitchens told a story of how he was forced to stop using the word, “niggardly.” He had used it in an academic conference, and as he said, “It hung in the air.” He would subsequently go for its synonyms like parsimony, illiberal or stingy. Scholars and writers no longer use the word, “Nigger.” When it is completely impossible to avoid, it is represented as the “N-Word.” The word, modern wisdom judges, is offensive and insensitive. It is redolent of the dark time in human history when innocent black people were enslaved and tortuously labored by white owners.

Two centuries ago, or even later, this caution was not necessary. Writers freely used these historically poignant words. They even called people savages, barbarians or heathens. A work of Joseph Conrad, the chapter three of which has been called the summit of English prose by academic assessors was titled; “The Nigger of Narcisus.”When it was to be republished in America, the publishers struck out the original title. The world is clamping down on practices and expressions which appear to honor memories of old injustices. If your ancestors enslaved people, you should be ashamed and sorry, not chest-beatingly proud.

When the monuments of Robert Lee and Stonewall Jackson, two notable Confederate Generals who fought to keep slavery in America were being thrown down and removed from public places, white supremacists kicked viciously. They bemoaned it as an attack on the history of America. Donald Trump was in the vanguard of the protest to keep the odious legacies of slavery. But the question which intelligent people asked was why monuments should be built in honour of remorseless slave-dealers. As a storm brewed, a descendant of Robert Lee spoke to the media and admitted that his ancestor was on the wrong side of history. “We are not proud of him,” he said, almost teary. In this important journey to a more just world, victims of historical injustice need empathy and reparation where necessary, not further inferiorisation. No friend of progress and education should take pride in acts which amounted to man’s inhumanity to man. Asari deserves our empathy.

Ezugwu Okike — a Lawyer, Writer and Public Policy Analyst writes via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In the battle for the Senate’s minority leadership position, ex-governor, Aminu Tambuwal has won the support of Atiku Abubakar, the standard-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Meanwhile, the G-5 group, spearheaded by former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, backs Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe.

Wike’s push for Jarigbe is perceived as a way to retaliate against Tambuwal over past presidential primary elections.

Tensions have risen within the PDP’s minority camp since Wike’s marathon meeting last Thursday with Senate President, GodsWill Akpabio.

Despite these mounting pressures, both Senate and House of Representatives leadership are treading carefully.

A source who spoke with Punch on Atiku’s choice said, “Tambuwal is Atiku’s choice as the PDP Senate leader while Wike is also pushing for Jarigbe as minority leader. Wike is looking for an opportunity to get back at Tambuwal over the presidential elections primary elections.

“He is still bitter. But the party would not allow him to try the same thing he did during the national elections with the National Assembly.”

A source indicated that Wike is determined to make one of his loyalists a principal officer.

The source noted, “Having assisted APC to win the presidential election in Rivers State in February and supported the aspirations of the now elected four presiding officers of the 10th National Assembly, making one of his loyalists a principal officer is his next plan.

“He is very serious about the plan and he is getting the required support from the leadership of the National Assembly as well as membership of the other minority political parties in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.”

An anonymous lawmaker confirmed that the PDP is focused on endorsing Tambuwal for the Senate leadership role.

The lawmaker said, “His Excellency, Senator Tambuwal is the one that the party has chosen as the Senate leader. The party at this time needs someone who can play the role of opposition very well and he is experienced having been a former Speaker of the House of Representatives. The party wants a competent person for that position and no doubt, he is one.”

Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to Atiku speaking on the battle, explained that Atiku’s backing of Tambuwal aligns with the party’s position.

He noted, “The position of the minority leader of the Senate should be taken by the biggest opposition party which is the PDP. The PDP will naturally vie for the role in consultation with other opposition party members in the Senate. This is how the minority leader will emerge.

“If the party is backing Tambuwal and Atiku Abubakar happens to support this, there is nothing wrong with that. It is the prerogative of the party to decide who they think can champion the interest of the party in the hallowed chamber. Normally, they will support someone whose competence they can vouch for.

“If Atiku and the PDP are on the same page on this, it is merely a coincidence because the former Vice President has always been a party man.”

Confirming his former principal’s stance, Nathanial Ikyur, ex-Chief Press Secretary to former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, said that Ortom would back Wike’s choice.

He said, “Ortom will support Wike and I can tell you that for Wike to identify with Senator Jarigbe, that means the man (Jarigbe) is the choice of the G-5. The group is intact and they make decisions together. All five of them are together. Seyi Makinde, Okezie Ikpeazu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Ortom, and Wike are together. They resolved to always stand together before, during and after the elections. Nothing has changed even after the elections.”

A former party official added that the G-5 remains united in opposing Tambuwal’s bid for a Senate position.

One Ifechukwu Makwe, a Federal Bureau of Investigation impostor, has been arrested for allegedly defrauding a Spaniard of €5.7m.

Makwe was apprehended by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Monday.

The Head of Media and Publicity at the anti-graft agency, Wilson Uwujaren, made this known in a statement.

He said Makwe used different identities to perpetrate his fraudulent activities and swindle the unsuspecting Spaniards.

Court Upholds FRSC’s Power To Impound Vehicles, Fine Defaulting Motorists
He added that he was arrested in the Guzape area of Abuja following credible intelligence about his fraudulent internet-related activities.

“Upon arrest, it was discovered that the suspect, bearing many aliases including Fahad Makwe, Senator Tompolo, Tom Makwe, Dr Bran, defrauded a Spaniard of €5.7million,” the statement said.

The statement explained further that Makwe, who allegedly claimed to be a US Federal Bureau of Investigation agent and a diplomatic solicitor, succeeded in defrauding his victim using fake identities.

“The suspect allegedly started defrauding the victim in 2013 when he first met her on social media, “ the statement added.

Uwujaren said the suspect would be charged in court as soon as the investigations were concluded

The Election Petition Tribunal in Jos has ordered Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to produce the voter register and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) used in selected polling units during the state’s governorship election on March 18.

The order was issued by the tribunal’s chairman, Irele-ifeneh, yesterday during the start of hearings on the petition filed by Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the March 18 election.

At the tribunal, the APC candidate is contesting Governor Caleb Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s victory.

The order was issued as a result of INEC’s failure to produce all certified true copies of documents as required by the tribunal’s subpoena to the INEC chairman and Plateau Resident Electoral Commissioner.

Salisu Aliyu, a senior system analyst from the INEC ICT department, and Festus Aisien, an assistant director at the INEC voter registry department, appeared in court on behalf of the INEC chairman, telling the court that their appearance was in response to the subpoena issued to the INEC chairman to submit certified true copies of accredited data extracted from the INEC backend server and form EC8A from the INEC Result Portal (IREV).

The chairman’s representatives only produced true certified copies of accredited data from BVAS and a portion of the list of voters required from the voter register in hard copy, while the remainder of the list of voters was in soft copy.

Due to the bulkiness of the BVAS machines and the remaining voter register, Aliyu and Festus stated that they were unable to bring them to court.

However, the petitioner’s counsel, Kayode Olatoke (SAN), objected to their submissions, claiming that all items listed in the subpoena must be presented.

Following the petitioner’s submission of counsel, the court ordered INEC to produce all documents and items listed in the subpoena within one week.

The tenth anniversary of Planet FM - the first privately-owned radio station in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States – offers me an ample opportunity to reflect on the importance of the independent media in the promotion of democracy and free speech in our country, and reminds us, once again, that risk-taking is a major ingredient of entrepreneurship and success. Located in Ibiaku-Uruan, a village about 10 kilometers from Uyo city centre, Planet has greatly influenced the politics and culture of Akwa Ibom people, and motivated the birth of over 18 other private broadcast outfits in the two sister states. I send my best wishes to the founder of Planet, Tony Afia, and his team on this very propitious occasion. But this celebration is a bit dampened by the death of the founder of the first privately-owned radio station in the country. My condolences to the family, associates and friends of Dr. Raymond Dokpesi. Both Planet and Raypower have been important influence on many Nigerians.

The license for Planet FM was issued by NBC in 2010; test transmission began on April 28, 2013 and full commercial broadcast began on Sunday, June 9, 2013. Before then, the government-owned radio and TV were the only broadcast outfits in Akwa Ibom and neighbouring Cross River. As is common in government-owned media houses, 100 percent of their contents are all about the government and the governor. Those who do not belong to the governor’s political party are never allowed access to stations. In 2013, Gov. Godswill Akpabio had only two years left in his eight-year tenure and his transition programme was beginning to gather momentum. Udom Emmanuel had just been brought in from a bank, where he was an executive director, to serve as the SSG as a prelude to being anointed the preferred governorship candidate. Emmanuel replaced Mr. Umana Umana (immediate past Minister of Niger Delta Affairs) as the SSG, a substitution that set of a dramatic chain of events who reverberations are still being felt in the state. Umana and the then Commissioner for Finance, Mr Bassey Albert (who later became a senator and is currently embroiled in a legal tussle with EFCC), also had gubernatorial ambitions. Others were warming up to enter the field.

So, Planet FM was born into a very politically tempestuous moment in the state. Whether this was planned or fortuitous is not clear, but looking back, I think this was the best timing for the business, a clear case of preparation meeting opportunity. Those who are familiar with Akwa Ibom State should by now attest to the vibrancy of our politics, and the Akpabio era was exceptional. In the first half of 2014, Planet was already making waves in the social and entertainment scene, practically eclipsing the state-owned broadcaster. In late 2014, Umana, sensing that he stood no chance of pursuing his ambition under the PDP, had decamped to APC, causing considerable political dislocations, and soon, he was its governorship ticket. The battle line was drawn between the PDP and the APC.

By now, I had teamed up with Umana as a member of his media team, and Planet has become very popular, with signals being received in Cross River and other neighbouring states. Its music was modern and urban, their OAPs (on-air personalities or announcers, as they were called before Internet was invented) were flawless and, overall, the 24-hour programming was superb. Folks stayed up all night to listen to music. AKBC, the government-owned mouthpiece, was almost dead by then.

To our pleasant surprise and utter discomfiture of the government, Planet opened its doors to opposition politicians to reach out to Akwa Ibom people through its various interview programmes, news bulletins and talk shows. ‘’The People’s Parliament’’, the morning phone-in programme that focuses mostly on politics, was an instant hit. Callers call the host ‘’Mr. Speaker’’, just like in the House of Assembly, and they were free to express their opinions and talk about anything, provided the caller was polite and the language decent. Other programs like ‘’People in History’’, which profiles important historical dignitaries across the world, command huge following.

As a member of the media team, it was my lot to drive over 15 kilometres from home to Planet practically every week (or sometimes more often) to be a guest on its interview programmes and speak for the APC and its governorship candidate. Other members of the team also took turns and went to the studio to push our agenda. We put the governor and his candidate on the spot, criticized the transition programme and the administration’s records. The Commissioner of Information then, Mr. Aniekan Umanah (who had recently set up his own radio station), had a hectic time driving up and down to Planet to rebut some of our claims and make the case for his boss and their governorship candidate, Udom Emmanuel.

Somedays, as we would be leaving the studio, Aniekan would be storming in to respond to what we had just said. We occasionally bypassed each other on the potholed village roads leading to the studio. The joke in town was why the commissioner was not going to AKBC to make his points. Why did he abandon the state-owned radio over which he superintended in favour of one founded by a private citizen? We were often warned that the government was not happy with us, and that we could be waylaid and attacked on our way to Planet by thugs. Thankfully, it didn’t happen. It was one of the most exciting moments in my PR career. If The Guardian newspaper had given me a national platform to hone my skills in journalism, it was Planet that offered me my first experience in live-radio punditry and prepared me for an exciting career in advocacy. At this point, I remember Miss Cleo Tao, the then Head of Programmes, who died tragically late 2017. She was a star and a good friend of mine who loved the job dearly and knew how to do it.

Like many good fortunes, the idea for Planet came out of a frustrating experience. Sometime in 2005, Afia had paid money to the state-owned radio to run advertisements to promote his sister’s restaurant business. But it was the governor’s birthday, and Afia’s ads were crowded out by numerous goodwill messages to the Big Man that were broadcast daily. The main purpose of the ads, which was to promote the restaurant, was defeated. Disappointed, Afia began to think of setting up a private radio that would be insulated from political influences. At the anniversary dinner two weeks ago, he skirted around this experience. He said, ‘’The decision to establish the first private radio station in Akwa-Cross region was born out of the desire and need to provide our people an independent platform for constructive engagement in governance and other spheres of human endeavour. We wanted to establish a platform to be used how people do their businesses or even socialize. The aim was to engender a paradigm shift and use the platform to contribute actively to the collective efforts aimed at building a better society for our people’’.

Planet has been so successful that last year, Lagos Business School adapted its story into a case study for a class discussion for its students. Incidentally, Okey Nwuke, one of the two persons who prepared the case, was one of my bosses in the bank. In the last ten years, another radio station, an all-vernacular FM known as Tang sio (speak out) and TV, Spectrum TV, have emerged from the Planet stable. Over 18 other privately-owned FM stations have sprouted out in the two states. Planet founder, Afia, believes that his efforts are the main inspiration for their birth. I am, however, worried that most of the new ones are owned by active politicians, apart from two owned by religious leaders and one by the University of Uyo; and because it is a pioneer, Planet has lost a lot of its core staffs to the new stations. It is a price forerunners pay all so often. The emergence of Planet FM opened up the space for opposition politicians; helped in the phenomenal growth of APC; encouraged our people to appreciate the importance of free speech; deepened political debates and enriched our entertainment and culture in Akwa Ibom State. 

Congratulations to Planet FM.

“See Paris and die!” We used to hear that as young persons. Paris was meant to be the most exotic spot of European civilization, an intellectual capital and the reference point for the Renaissance – Francis !1, Cardinal Richelieu, Loui XIII, Louis XIV, and the ideas-driven salons of Paris. But that was in the past. Nobody goes to Paris to die these days, or to look for big ideas at salons. The history is still there, the legacy is apparent, but there is no big deal anymore about Paris. Most people go there for tourism, lovers travel to Paris to take pictures at some of the most memorable legacies of world heritage: at the la Tour Eiffel, the Louvre Museum, the Seine River, the Versailles, the Mussee d’Orsay and particularly at the Arc de Triomphe where lovers take pictures after, or before visiting the Eiffel Tower to show that they have been to Paris.

It is particularly tragic for France that from being the centre of culture and civilization at a time in history it is now more important as a centre for romance, conferences and tourism, even if France has sustained its status as one of the seven most powerful countries in the world as a member of the G-7. Between June 22 and 23, France was again in the spotlight when it hosted the summit on a “New Global Financial Pact” which as President Emmanuel Macron pointed out was to develop a new architecture for global financing to the advantage of the global South with particular focus on. Climate adaptation, equity, justice and respect for the sovereignty of states. The Summit was attended by more than 50 representatives from countries, that is Heads of States and Governments, the private sector and international development/multilateral agencies. It was France’s means of asserting its continuing relevance as a world super power. None of the G-7 countries would ever give up easily in claiming their own space in the global arena, with regard to diplomacy and influence. President Macron has been particularly determined in carrying the French torchlight in the global space.

That said, let me pivot a little. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria’s new President and his entourage participated in the New Global Finance Pact Summit in Paris For those who do not understand the context, there has been so much talk about a new global financial architecture in the international space when countries of the global South, that is the developing countries began to ask for a New International Economic Order as far back as 1974. Developing countries were not at the table when the United Nations, the IMF, the World Bank and other multilateral institutions were formed after World War II. Nor were they at the table after World War I and the negotiations that led to the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations. Post-war, the world has been trying to grapple with the challenges of peace, security and stability, but with that has come the challenges of equity, justice and state sovereignty. Article 1 of the UN Charter talks about the sovereignty of states, but we live in an unbalanced world and an inequitable world. The disparity between the Global North and the Global South has therefore led to s a situation whereby the poor developing countries of the world have consistently asked for a seat at the table, either at the UN Security Council, or for trade not aid, and reforms at all levels and a greater commitment of the North to the South. France as we have seen, and other countries of the North – Japan, China, Russia, the United States have tried to seize on this through annal summits at which they announce grants for developing countries,

Much of it is just sheer hypocrisy though. Whether it is Japan, China, the US, the UK or France, these Global North countries are basically looking out for their own interests. In France, the developed countries for example promised a $100 billion fund for climate adaptation. We heard much of that at COP 26 in Glasgow Scotland, and also at COP 27 at Sharm-el-Sheik in Egypt., and again at the African Development Bank Anniversary at the same venue – Sharm el-Sheik most recently. In Paris, the rich nations pledged about $100 billion for climate adaptation to help developing countries, but has progress been made (?), given the fact that an outsized role is given to private investment and multilateral development banks. The truth is that the global North is not yet ready to input fairness, justice and equity into its relationship with the global South – that, sadly, is the extant international economic order. Zambia’s President Hichilema may have been able to secure a debt deal with China with the help of France’s President Macron but that doesn’t really mean much. Zambia, the copper-rich nation was the first Africa country to default on its debt prepayments in 2020. It is indebted to China for up to $4billion out of a debt profile of about $6 billon. The loans may have been taken by Hichilema’s predecessor – Michael Sata and Edward Lungu, but Hichilema succeeded in getting a reprieve on debt repayment from China, with President Macron facilitating the deal. I don’t think that is a lot to crow about. Zambia is in a very bad place economically. It has also been said that the. Presidents of Ghana, Kenya, Barbados reportedly made statements on behalf of the developing world about fairness, equity and justice in the proposed new global financial pact. What does anybody expect them to say? The big issue about North-South relations has been exactly about the same issues, the original basis in particular for Africa, demanding “trade, not aid”.

I have given this background to lead up to the point that has been raised by some Twitter analysts, those I call the 140-word intellectuals who have been saying that whr5eas some other Presidents from developing countries took the podium and made some noise with regard to striking some deals, President Tinubu only got promises from the Paris Summit and did not make any big statement. What big statement is anyone looking for? Comparing President Tinubu to President William Ruto of Kenya, or the Presidents of Ghana or Zambia is an act of self-abnegation on the part of those who have done so. Every country makes its own sovereign choices and defines its own priorities. Nigeria is not under any obligation to speak at any forum except as it deems fit. The point has been made that President Tinubu did not speak at any major forum. Nigeria as a sovereign state has every right to choose what serves its purpose. In any case, among all the African Presidents at that Paris Summit, Tinubu is the youngest in order of emergence. Protocol and etiquette require that he cannot speak ahead of Presidents that are ahead of him until his proper introduction at the regional and continental level, where he is properly admitted into the body of Heads of States and Governments. Going to Paris was also Tinubu’s first international outing, after his election as President. I disagree with those who claim that his attendance at that Summit was a lost opportunity. There is too much mush on social media.

My view is that the Paris trip was a great outing for Nigeria and for Africa, and especially for President Tinubu. You all must have seen him bouncing, and sprinting like a teenager at the events that he chose to attend and the great photo opportunities that he had. I was so drawn into the atmosphere I had to confess that I would also like to become President of Nigeria someday. There is clearly something magical about that office that purifies the person, and gives your system a little bounce. Can anyone imagine that the same Tinubu that critics used to ridicule is suddenly looking like he can take Anthony Joshua’s place and challenge Dillian Whyte to a fight? It is the magic of that spiritual place called the Nigerian Presidency. I digress. I intend to say that those who claim that Tinubu’s trip to France was a poor outing are factually wrong, unnecessarily sentimental and unfair. He did well. It is also the height of emotionalism to compare or reduce the performance of the President of one’s country to the level of the Presidents of other countries which on a good day look up to Nigeria. In this matter, I think we all need to be reminded that campaigns and elections are over, we are now in the season of governance. Except the courts decide one way or the other, my take is that we are now in the season of governance, and this whole matter cannot be left alone to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its mob. We have a responsibility to get involved in how this country is run. It is no longer about APC or Tinubu. It is about us. Less than a month ago, everyone talked about Muhammadu Buhari. I have not seen him on the front page of any newspaper since he packed his things out of Aso Rock and relocated to Katsina state. We have all simply moved on with our lives. This I think is the point that can also be taken from Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s statement that “Nigerians should please relax”. Indeed, we all need to relax!

The Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was accused of not posting her pictures with President Tinubu in Paris whereas she posted on social media pictures with other Presidents that are not her own. She was then accused of making a political statement. The truth that is lost on the complainants is that Tinubu does not need Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s validation. It is not an issue. And she put her finger on it when she pointed out that those complaining have sadly shown “the depth of polarization in our society”. She has told us correctly: “Let’s unite to build our country, not attack.” The censorious mode into which the opposition in Nigeria has plugged itself is unhealthy for us as a country, nor is it of any help to the sub-region. In Sierra Leone where presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections were held last Saturday, it is shocking to see that Sierra Leoneans are beginning to behave almost exactly like Nigerians. The ruling party, the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), claiming victory is already telling the main opposition party, the All People’s Congress (APC): “Go to Court”, Go to Court”. The judiciary is obviously not only in the eyes of the storm in Nigeria as the Nigeria Bar Association-Special Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SWIDEL) resolved at a summit last week, it is embattled everywhere. Again, I digress.

I began with Tinubu’s trip to Paris. Now, let me end with that. His first official international outing. Good. Good. For the benefit of those who claim that Tinubu did not secure a deal, I accuse them of ignorance. Deals are not secured by word of mouth. Summits provide an opportunity for interaction and engagements and sound bites. What follows thereafter is more important, the ability of the country involved in diplomatic relations at either bilateral or multinational level to follow through. Zambia may have secured a commitment for debt repayment rescheduling from China but it means nothing if it remains at the level of expectation. It is the same argument for the pledge by the global North to provide up to $100 billion for climate adaptation financing. This is at best an aspiration. It may never happen. Didn’t they make similar promises at Glasgow, Scotland (COP 26) and Sharm el-Sheik (COP 27)?

Nigeria’s participation in the Paris Summit is strategic and appropriately so. Nigeria was clear about its purpose: to woo the international community to invest in Nigeria, and to make just enough appearances to show that there is a new Sheriff in charge of Nigeria. The Lagos City Boy who is now President of Nigeria did not disappoint. He was sprinting and hugging and laughing, putting up a good show on the soft diplomacy side. He demonstrated wisdom by not over-pushing himself in people’s faces at his first major outing as a newly-elected President. And it is not true that he went there to take photos. He held strategic meetings, and secured serious commitments. Mr. Dele Alake, Presidential spokesman, my beloved junior in that office, has reported copiously on this: President Tinubu’s meeting with Professor Benedict Oramah of the African Export and Import Bank (AFREXIM) who gave a firm commitment that the development bank will invest more in Nigeria, and the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) who was told pointedly by Tinubu that it would be perilous for the world to ignore Nigeria. The EBRD lady concurred. Tinubu also met with Presidents of other countries. International diplomacy is not simply about making speeches at the podium where everyone says more or less the same things; it is more about commitments secured on the sidelines. Tinubu did very well in the latter regard. The only caveat I attach to that is that there is need for follow-up, and follow-through. Tinubu has to work on that. Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is too busy organizing protocols and ceremonies, nobody in that Ministry pays enough attention to the nexus between diplomacy and statecraft. The golden age of that Ministry ended. Tinubu must revive it.

My only point of criticism about the Paris Summit event would be as follows. President Tinubu met with Nigerians in Diaspora at an event in Paris which is a good thing, Nigerians in Diaspora are major stakeholders in the Nigerian enterprise- many of them are even far more concerned than the Nigerians at home. But Tinubu made the mistake of saying at the forum that the country’s financial system was rotten under Godwin Emefiele as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He gave his audience more details. That was wrong. Emefiele was arrested on June 8, and has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since then with the claim that he is still being investigated. President Tinubu must refrain from making prejudicial statements. Emefiele has rights under the laws of Nigeria. He should not be crucified through Presidential proclamation. Tinubu’s critics have further objected to his decision to travel from Paris to London. I am amused by the comments. The beauty of democracy is that even persons who cannot buy enough data credit on their phones or who cannot run their own lives believe it is their right to dictate to the “oga on top”. Democracy is not too much of a departure from dictatorship, Only the character is different.

Power distribution companies, on Monday, backtracked on their earlier announcement of a tariff hike projected to take effect from July 1, 2023, as they stated that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission had yet to approve the hike.

Various public notices from some of the Discos seen on Sunday had stated that the electricity tariff would be raised by about 30 to 40 per cent for selected categories of consumers on July 1, 2023.

In a public service announcement from the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, for instance, the Disco had said, “Effective July 1, 2023, please be informed that there will be an upward review to the electricity tariff influenced by the fluctuating exchange rate.

“Under the MYTO (Multi Year Tariff Order) 2022 guidelines, the previously set exchange rate of N441/$1 may now be revised to approximately N750/$1 which will have an impact on the tariffs associated with your electricity consumption”

But in an appeal by the same AEDC, issued on Monday, the firm asked its customers to disregard the planned tariff increase as approval for such an increment had not been received.

“Please disregard the circulating communication, regarding the review of electricity tariffs. Be informed that no approval for such increments has been received. We regret any inconvenience,” the AEDC stated in its latest announcement.

A senior official in NERC confirmed that the regulator had not given the Discos approval to announce the hike in tariffs.

“The commission did not give them such approval,” the official, who pleaded not to be named due to lack of approval, stated.

Reacting to the development, a former spokesperson of the AEDC and seasoned expert in the sector, Olabode Fadipe, said, “NERC never publishes any position or makes any official statement. It is the Discos that does that. Once the Discos receive approval from NERC, they effect the adjustment straightaway.

“Discos perhaps got approval for 1st July and chose to put their customers on notice only to be told that their action was hasty. That end users have been told to ignore the message does not mean that the increase won’t be affected.”

Although The PUNCH later reached out to a spokesperson for Ikeja Electric, Ayeni Akinola, who described the initial trending circular as “fake”, the circular advised customers with prepaid meters to purchase energy units in bulk before the price increment takes effect from July 1.

“If you have a prepaid meter, buying bulk energy units for your home or office before the end of the month may help you make some savings before you have to buy at the new rate.

“For those on post-paid (estimated) billing, a significant increment is imminent in your monthly billing, starting from August,” it stated.

The PUNCH also reached out to the Assistant Manager Communications, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Mary Anavhe, who dismissed an imminent increase in tariffs.

The PUNCH further reached out to the spokespersons for Eko Disco and Ibadan Electric, Babatunde Lasaki, and Busolami Tunwase, respectively, including the Executive Secretary for the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, Sunday Oduntan.

While both Lasaki and Oduntan declined to pick up calls nor responded to inquiries on the development, Tunwase referred The PUNCH to NERC for an official response.

“We are not responsible for tariff increase or decrease, NERC is. We only carry out such directives from NERC,” she said in a response note.

However, when The PUNCH contacted Sani, he declined to respond to both calls and messages. A minor electricity tariff is slated to hold every six months. The last review was carried out in December.